Self-playing musical instrument.



R. FRb'MSDORF. sm PLAYING MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 29. 1908.

1,256,464. Patented Feb. 12, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- Inventbn W t I 4 u R. FRUMSDORF.

SELF PLAYING MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 29. 1908.

1,256,464. Patented Feb. 12,1918.-

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- Witnesses. I Inventor.

UNITED STATES PATEN T OFFICE.

ROBERT FRbMSDORF, OF LEIPZIG-EUTRITZSCH, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO THE FIRM OF LUDWIG HUPFELD AK'IIENGESELLSCHAFT, 0F LEIPZIG, GERMANY.

SELF-PLAYING MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Application filed April 29, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT FRoMsnoRr, a subject of the King of Saxony, and residing at Lei pzig-Eutritzsch, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Self-Playing Musical Instruments; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a art of this specification.

lilyinvention relates to self-playing horizontal pianos, especially grand pianos, and to that class in which the piano action is operated by pneumatic mechanism.

In some self-playing horizontal pianos as now constructed, the note sheet drivage and tracker bar have been placed above the key lever mechanism, while the other parts, such as the wind chest, actuating bellows or pneumatic, and the pumping bellows, have been placed either beneath the piano, or beneath the piano and key levers. This arrangement has the disadvantage that the air conduits for the various pneumatics or each note, must either pass around or between the various piano action units or lever mechanism, from the wind chest and through the bettom of the piano case. In constructing such a piano it is customary to have the actuating bellows, or pneumatics for the several notes, to operate upon their respective key levers and thereby actuate the usual piano action, so that in playing a piece of music automatically the key levers will also move.

My invention has for its object to operate the horizontal piano action units independently of the key levers, and in doing so I place the pneumatic playing mechanism, 2'. 0., tracker bar, note sheet drivage, wind chest and actuating bellows or pneumatics for the piano action units above the key levers and in front of or adjacent the wrest plank.

The blowing mechanism for producing the necessary air pressure is placed beneath the piano. By this arrangement the air conduits are readily conducted from beneath the instrument to the mechanism above.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 12, 1918.

Serial No. 429,952.

Referring to the drawings, in which like parts are similarly designated- Figure l is a longitudinal section, partly in elevation, of a grand piano.

F 1g. 2 IS a plan thereof, showing certain parts in section, and Fig. 3 is a detail, on a larger scale, showmg a piano action unit and its pneumatic and key lever mechanism.

In front of and adjacent the wrest plank 0; is a wind chest Z) a tracker bar 0, note sheet rolls 0 and c and the pneumaties d. The pneumatic are below the wind chest I) and above the key levers.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 3, which embodies the principle of my invention, 2 is a string and acting thereon is a damper head 3 operated by a damper wire 4 pivotally connected to a damper lifter 5. The damper lifter 5 is indirectly actuated bv the key lever m mounted on the usual balance pin 6 in a balance rail 7. Aboie the key levers is a damper lever rail 5 to which is pivotally connected the damper lever 2' provided with an adjustable rest l whereby it rests on its respective key lever m, so that by depressing a key the key lever 272 will be rocked on its balance pin to lift the damper lever 2' to engage the damper lifter 5 and lift the damper.

Above the damper levers is mounted the hammer rail f to which is pivoted the jackwhip 0 having at its pivot point a cushion for the hammer, and provided with a proJection g resting on or extending over a projection d on the pneumatic at below the wind chest 7). The jack-whip e is connected to the damper lever i by means of a link is. Mounted on the damper lever 1'. is a hammer check it.

Below the piano, Fig. 1, is mounted the pump or main bellows n operated by a pedal g capable of being removed from and folded into the lyre p.

The pipes 0, Fig. 2, extend from the pump 01. to the wind chest I) up through or in the sides of the piano case, thus avoiding the numerous holes, heretofore required, through the bottom of the case for the rubber tubes connecting the pneumatics with their respective wind chest chambers, as well as those required for connecting the tracker bar openings with the respective wind chest chambers. If desired, these pipes may pass be tween the key levers.

The vertical arran 'ement of the pumping bellows it permits the air conduits to he made ."ei'yshort'. The main pump bellows 7: may, however, be placed horizontally under the A l piano 1; esnca.

I. cla1m 1. The combinat on with a hor zontal piano "having its key levers, piano act-ion units, wrest plank and case having a flattop; of a tracker bar, note sheet rolls, wind chest and piano action unit operating pneuina tics mounted between the [lat top and key levers in front of the wrest plank, and a projection on each 01 said pneumatics ex tent'iing under the wrest plank to engage and operate the pertaining piano action unit.

The combination with a horizontal piano, its key levers, piano action units, wrest plank and case having a flat top; of

i a tracker bar, note sheet rolls, \vind chest and piano action unit operating neumatics -pneiunatics all mounted between the top of the case and the key levers and in front of the wrest plank, means on each pneumatic to engage its pertaining action unit, a hammer cheek connected to the horizontal piano ac tion unit and operated thereby independently oi the pertaining key lever.

In testin'ion that l claim'the foregoing as my invention, 1 have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT riioaisnonn Witnesses E. GAUDTNER, RUDOLPH FRICKE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latents,

' Washington,D.C." 

